Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 92 — page 12: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

12 Canada Chet. now, as the sun began to set, leaving in its track a desolate waste of scorched and naked timber, and frying carcasses of unfortunate beasts and birds that were caught in the fiery vortex. In the edge of a timber that remained untouched by the fire, Sitting Bull and his handful of braves sat their horses like centaurs. The Sioux chief was waiting for the white rene- gade, Watsanoka, previous to the proposed attack upon the rh ay But Watsanoka came not, and deep shadows once more began to gather in the forest, and the red- faced moon began to show her form up over the eastern horizon. ‘* Watsanoka is late!’ Sitting Bull growled, at last. ee braves remain here while Sitting Bull go hunt m,’ Death it meant for the braves to disobey, and so they kept their positions, while the old chief rode off. Threading his way through .the silent woods, he soon came to the northern bank of Beaver Lake. Without pausing, however, he continued along the bank toward the cabin of the Magician of the North, where he arrived in due time, and drew rein before the door. All was dark and silent about the place, as if it were inhabited Le eset 3 not earthly, if at all. But Sitting B des himself on possessing a brave heart, and he feared none of the evils repu to exist in the cabin of the cian. Therefore he dismounted and tried the door, and to his great rise it swung open. Before ente the cabin, the wily chief peered into it, to see that no trap had been set for him. But he could see nothing, and therefore stepped inside. Stirring the fire to a blaze, he proceeded to make an examination in general of the articles belonging to the magician. } Pi up a box which lay upon the floor, he rais- ed the lid and gazed in. is curiosity was quite satisfied. A huge artificial snake lay in the bottom, rod y instantly an to uncoil and raise its horrible With a fine the chief dropped the box, and left the cabin, in disgust. On arriving upon the outside, the savage found that his horse was missing. Thinking he might have strayed he set out in search of him, and spent full an hour in the task without success. At last he paused at the edge of a glade, in a great rage. The pale-face dog of a magician is the thief, and Sitting Bull will have his revenge!” he grunted. ‘He will go and order his braves to kill every pale- face in the forest, be he friend or foe. None of the accursed race shall ive in the land of the Sioux.” A low sound of laughter caused the chief to start, and gaze about him in alarm. Not a half-dozen yards distant the terrible object known as the Demon of the Forest was approach- ing rapidly, the short feet moving as fast as those of a larger person. The chief saw the strange and horrible thing, and stood rooted to the spot as if entranced. e had often heard of the Demon, but had never before caught more than a passing glimpse of it. Nearer and nearer it came, the mouth opened by a broad grin; the eyes winking and blinking, and the ears wi gling and flapping like those of a mule. Poor Sitting Bull! If he had never had experience of affright before, he had a good taste of it now. His limbs refused to move, and he trembled in every joint. All he could do was stand and stare at the terrible shape, in a horrible fascination. The Walking Head seemed to be aware of this fact, for it approached the red-man, and walked around and around him, until Sitting Bull suddenly awakened to the fact that his lower limbs were wound and bound by a series of strong cords. Instantly after this discovery he gavé a gasp and reached to his belt for his tomahawk, but it was not there! Nor was he possessed of any of his weapons, He was now paces jerked to the ground, and his arms bound his back, although he knew not how or by whom, as he lay prostrated upon his face. sin eee the tying was finished, he was rolled over on | / A savage ‘* Ugh!"’ escaped him, for he beheld the terrible Walking Head standing by his side, and pee over into his face. The Sioux chief tried to speak, but his tongue seemed suddenly paralyzed. An unearthly chuckle escaped the Demon of the noni - a, watched the conflicting emotions upon e chief’s face. ‘“‘ Sitting Bull is a prisoner!’’ came words from the cad, in a strange, sepulchral voice. ‘He is no longer the king of the forest, but lies before one many times smaller. Tne warriors of Sittin Bull are choca’ with their hatchets unearthed. Wha would the Sioux do, in the land of the North?” “Sitting Bull’s men seek the branded pale-face who has no right in the land of the Sioux,” was the sullen rent. ‘““Would not Sitting Bull recall his braves, and es- ton ee if he could have his liberty again, at the of the Forest Demon?” ‘“‘No! Sitting Bull is no coward that he would ac- cept terms of truce. He is not afraid to die, know- ing that his braves will never leave the war-trail until the death of their chief has been amply avenged.” ‘“‘Then Sitting Bull shall die, but not by the hand of the Forest Demon, for heis a being without hands. But Sitting Bull shall lie in the woo , and risk be- ing devoured by wild beasts of prey. No warriors of the chief are in the neighborhood, and the chief of the Sioux can be alone with his thoughts!”’ And with this comforting assurance, the Demon of the Forest waddled away again across the glade whence he had come. Sitting Bull was alone in the forest, where beasts of prey were not scarce, and his chances were any thing but pire faa He did not, however, bemoan his situation in the least. He preserved that bull-dog stolidity peculiar to the Indian. Where some would have yelled to summon aid, he remained perfectly quiet. He knew that there were men in the forest who might possibly answer his call—men such as the dread Anaconda, who would ask for no better op- portunity to avenge old wrongs than the present, when the reputed greatest fighter of the Sioux nation ge, Big ae his back, powerless as a new-born babe. the meantime, Casper Dayton in his Indian disguise had been prow about in the vicinity of the Choppings, and had learned of the escape of Hal Dayton and Dave Laam, together with part of the press-gang who worked in the pen. “Ten thousand curses upon their heads and souls!” the villain hissed, as he left the village and walked along the southern shore of the lake. “If I had burned that shell of a counterfeiting den, as I had a mind to, their hash would have been settled. Now, I must hunt them up. But, hold, I must not go too fast. I will send Sitting Bull to destroy the and all that is in it. I shall then have full sway, as long as things hitch well with Sitting Bull. An In- dian is treacherous, but I believe I can get along with the red Satan as well as if he were white, so long as I feed him well with money and promises.”’ Searching along the lake he soon found a canoe and springing into it, he pulled across to a int where he had made an appointment to meet the Sioux chief and his braves. On stepping ashore and entering the forest, he found the red-skins, but not their commander. ‘‘ Where is the great chief, Sitting Bull?” he asked addressing one of the savages whom he had heard called Foxfoot, and who had assumed command for the time being. “The great chief went in search of Watsanoka and has not retu.ned,”’ was the reply. “T am Watsanoka,’’ Caspar Dayton said, ‘‘and your chief bade me to give you orders when it pleased me.” “The ears of Sitting Bull’s braves are open, and meas _ heed the words of Watsanoka,”’ Foxfoot replied. f Then let them visit the pale-face settlement on the banks of Beaver Lake, and begin the scalp ceire of death. Let not a man, woman, or child be spared; let the firebrand be applied to every cabin, except the building called ‘The Pen.’ Does Foxfoot understand ?”’ The savage responded with a ‘‘ Ugh!” and turned and addressed his companions ia the Indian tongue. Caspar Dayton awaited the result with a great deal of satisfaction, for he saw that the savages were eager and willing, and he smiled his pleasure as they filed away through the forest, with drawn hatchets. ‘‘T have won!” he said, distinctly and loud. — ‘‘No, Casper Dayton, you have lost /”’ exclaimed a voice, close behind him. CHAPTER XIV. FACE TO FACE—A CRIMSON CRIME. THE speaker was the Forest Lily, Hazel Eye. She stood in the rear of Casper Dayton, a pistol in her hand which covered the renegade. He wheeled and saw it—saw the marvelous beauty of the girl, who had assumed the attitude of enmity toward him. He ventured to utter an oath. What was there in her face that was familiar to him? What resemblance to some one in the past—? ‘Devils seize you!’’ he gasped. “ Oo are yOu, and whom do you think me to be?” “The eyes of the Forest Lily are rarely at fault,” ” Hazel Eye replied, calmly. ‘“‘They can penetrate the disguises of even greater villains than you, Casper Dayton, with all your hideous paint.”’ “Curses on you! What do you mean, girl? I am not Casper Dayton, nor did I ever hear the name. ‘You need not lie,” the girl replied, as coolly as before. ‘Come! Casper Dayton, or no Casper Dayton, you must accompany me. Resist, and Pll shoot you dead in your tracks!”’ “You dare not do murder!’ Dayton gasped, be- lieving he could intimidate this brave fairy of the forest. ‘‘ You dare not do murder!” “Try me and see!” Hazel ore said, full-cocking her revolver. ‘I give you until I count ten to decide whether you will go with me or not.” The villain saw that she was in earnest, without doubt, and that it was best to humor her for the present, and watch his chances. “ll cave,” he said quickly. ‘“‘Lead ahead, and I'll follow.” A smile of sarcasm wreathed Hazel Eye’s cherry lips. ‘‘ How nice that would be, wouldn’t it? No! Cas- _ Dayton; I was detailed to capture you, and I ve done so. Hand me your weapons now—take care! I’m watching you, and if you make a move to eng of those weapons, I'll pop you over like a as 9 And believing that she would keep her word, the villain promptly obeyed, with a savage scowl. “The fiends take you. What are you going to do with me?’’ he demanded. ‘‘Patience and time are two of the roadways to knowledge; ee another. If you wait long enough and have enough patience, you will doubtless learn as to the disposition of your remains.”’ After she had appropriated his weapons she gave the order: “‘ Right about, face!’ and they marched off through the forest, Casper Dayton in advance, covered by Hazel Eye’s pistol. In this way they marched until they came to the ician’s cabin on the lake shore. e door was open, and the little old man sat upon the doorsteps, smoking his pipe in the moonlight Ne rine streamed down through an opening in the rees. As Casper Dayton saw him he gave a violent start, and mechanically reached toward his belt; but Hazel Eye pushed him forward at the muzzle of her wea- pon until the villain stood in front of the Magician— stood there glaring down at him like a confined spirit of evil, worked into a frenzy. _ * Sylvanus Dayton |”’ he gasped, his features work- ing. his fingers opening and shutting convulsively. " ylvester ayton !—you /—alive |” “Ay! alive!’ the Magician Dee as he arose and stood upon the threshold, ‘“ Alive, my devilish bro- ther, although it is not your fault thatIlam. Come, Hazel Eye, bring your prisoner within the cabin.” Hazel ane obeyed, forcing Casper Dayton forward again at the muzzle of her pistol, until he was seated upon a stool in the Magician’s cabin. The old man ignited the wick of a large oil lamp, and the blaze glancing to a mirror-like reflector a the room in every per e then turned, with folded arms, to gaze at the man sitting on the stool, under the cover of Hazel Eye’s weepen. ‘Yes, Casper, I am alive; but it is not thy fault,”’ he repeated. ‘‘ What ripe ek you hither?”’ ‘* Shaul I tell you?” the other replied, with a sneer. “Well, I will, then, It was to murder the son of Se brother James. It was to murder him in cold hook and take possession of our wealth at Brooks- eld. “Then, you knew nothing of my whereabouts?”’ the Magician asked. ‘No: had I suspected that you were alive and in this region, you should have died, long ere this, I as- ein? you. But, who is this accur brazen-faced r dd “Take care, Casper Dayton, lest she be so an- gered as toshoot you. Listen to me and you shall ear that which will surprise you. The story you told to the counterfeiter, Canada Chet, was a base lie; let me now repeat a little of the truthful history has the Daytons, for the benefit of this young audi- P, ‘*Some years ago, there lived three brothers and an old father, in an Eastern State. The old gentle- man was well fixed, in this world’s goods—his wealth counted up into the hundreds of t ousands, and he had no heirs until these sons of his came. Then the old man watched them grow to manhood, and was Pg en to ae es ’ € son ames was the pungest, Casper the next in rank, and Sylvanus the oldest. There- fore, the old father made oy Ngai his choice, con- trary to the usual way, for the youngest son is gen- erally the one best loved because the last. ‘Sylvanus was an honest, hard-working fellow; James was also industrious and inclined to be sav- ing, but Casper was a wild, dissolute fellow, a spend- thrift and at heart a villain. No amount of good advice or persuasion, it seemed, could tempt him from his course. ‘At last the good father died, and in the presence of the three brothers, the will was read. ‘‘And such a bomb then exploded in the Dayton camp! The will was far from interesting or satis- factory to any of the brothers, except to Sylvanus, to whom the property was bequeathed, with the ex- ception of two dollars, which was left to be divided between James and C r. ‘‘In case of the death of James, first, he was to have a decent burial. No provision of kind was made for Casper. Should Sylvanus die first, the whole wealth descended to James; after his death, to Casper. “Thus, there was a grand incentive to villainy, and one which you, Casper Dayton, made haste to embrace. I had never believed you capable of ac- tual crime, but I found out to my cost that you were, for one night as I was coming along a gloomy highway, I was attacked by you, and knocked sense- less from my horse. You then threw my body into the river, where you calculated I should die by drowning. | ‘‘Kind hands rescued me, however, and I was taken to the cottage of a widow, where I was re- stored to consciousness. But the terrible blow had unsettled my brain; and there followed a sort of insanity that was intermittent, however—not con- stant. ‘At times Iwas of sound mind. Then would come on one of the strange spells in which I feared you— feared my God—feared everybody except the widow and her daughter, a baby then. To them I took kindly, for I believed them my friends. ‘A’ strange, headless body was found in the river the next day, attired in the clothing of Sylvanus Dayton, and was taken and buried, and a large cir- cle of mourning friends wept over the coffin of the supposed murdered owner of Brooksfield. But it was only the body of some unknown person who had been ed out of the river, and substituted, by my directions. “Thus, Casper Dayton, you supposed you were rid of me, and you turned your attention to watching an opportunity to strike rope remaining brother—the obstacle which stood between you and the heritage of Brooksfield “While I, seized with my insane fear of you and the world, fled the country. First, however, I mar- ried the Widow Walling, and took her and her child with me. I penetrated to the very depths of the wilderness, and finally came into this remote region, where I have since remained. ‘My wife died, when Hazel Eye, here, was a mere child, and I have brought her up tosuit myself. But com i ; : ‘| | ; EDOOKS:COM